Michael Jackson was accused of a lot of things in his time (and since), but here’s a brand-new one: breaking up Guns N’ Roses. According to the band’s former manager, Doug Goldstein, the deceased King of Pop could be partially to blame for the split that robbed GNR of their Appetite For Destruction.
As most fans well know, the hard-rockin’ world conquerors have never been the same since core member, Slash, quit the band in 1996 following personal tensions with frontman, Axl Rose. Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone Brazil, Goldstein claims the straw that broke the camel’s back actually occurred when everyone’s favourite Les Paul-slinging top hat wearer agreed to perform with MJ at a tribute concert.
“I told him not to do it because Axl was molested by his father when he was two and he believed the charges against Michael Jackson,” Goldstein says. “So I asked Slash, ‘How much are you receiving?’ … and he said, ‘I’ll just receive a big screen television’.”
“When Axl found out Slash was going to play with Michael Jackson and that the payment was a big screen TV, he was devastated. He thought Slash would support him and be against all abuse. From Axl’s point of view, that was the only problem. He could ignore the drugs and the alcohol, but never the child abuse.”
Goldstein doesn’t mention whether Rose took issue with Slash recording two songs with Michael Jackson on his 1991 album Dangerous, including Give In To Me (which he also appeared in the video for) and the intro shredding to chart-incinerator Black Or White over four years previous. However he does claim that, should Slash apologise for performing with Jackson, a classic Guns N’ Roses reunion could happen, like, for realz.
“I really believe that for how much I love the band, I’d be the manager to reunite them,” he said. “I don’t think anyone else could do it.” We’re not going to hold our breath.
